COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1209, 18 August 1911, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. Transactions recorded in investment shares yesterday were: National Bank at £6ls.and £6 Is. 6d. ; Wellington Gas (£7 10s. paid), at £15; Christchurch Meat, at £16; Westport Coal at £1 9s. The buying; and selling quotations were as under:— • ■Buyers Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Mortgage ......... 3 10 0 — - N.Z. and River Plate .... 2 1 0 — Well. Investment 0 11 9 — Wellington Deposit — 0 8 3 I'eilding Gas — 12 6 Napier Gas — 2510 0 Faimerston Gas .: 619 0 9 4 0 Wellington Gas (new) ... — 3 2 6 Meat Export (525. fid.) — 3 0 0 Union Steam 2 1 6 2 2 6 Well. Steam Ferry (18s.) — 018 0 Well. Woollen (ord.) • — 4 0 0 Taupiri Coal 12 0 Loyland-O'Brien 18 3 — Manning and Co — 4 5 0 New Zealand Drug 2 10 6 — Sharland's ordinary — 15 0 Taranaki Petroleum 0 16 0 0 17 0 Ward and Co 5 0 0 — Well. Opera House — 7 5 0 COMPANIES REGISTERED. According, to the "Mercantile Gazette," the following companies have, been registered during the Dast week:— ; John Bums Electroplate Co., Ltd., capital, £75C0, in £1 shares. Subscribers:— A. S. Biss. J. R. Burns, G. ; Fitzgerald. W. Crichton, J. W. Jack, T, C. Dawson, W. 11. Morton, all of Wellington, one share each. Objects;, To acQtiirc and take over as a going concern the business of John li. Burns, of Christchiifch, electro-plater, and Henry Curragh. of Templeton. farmer, carried on in Christchurch, and to nurrha.ee from Clarke's Elcctro-platc Works. Ltd., at Wellington. Wellington Cordage Co., Ltd. Capital, £6000. in £t shares. Subscribers:—C. Stewart. 250: J. S. Swan, 100; F. G. Dabiell. 2:0; J. Passmore, 750; M. Passmore. 750: T. Ti] Dwan, 375; L. J)wan. 375; E. M. Bolton,' 1M• D. Robertson. 100: .P. A. Miller. 250. Objects: To carry on the business of manufacturers and dealers in ropes, hemp, fibre, coir, wire, and cordage of-all kinds. G. E. Noble and Co.. Ltd. Capital, £2600, in £1 shares. Subscribers:—F. G. Reid, Fctone, 1030: G. E. Noble. Otaki, ICOO. Objects: To acquire' and take over as a going concern the business of a retail-ami wholesale butcher, now carried on by G. 13. Noble, at Otaki. Waikanac. Paraparaumu, and Paekakariki, umler the style of G. E. Noble and Co.

QUEENSLAND SUGAR INDUSTKY. In view of the attention-attracted bv the sugar industry of Queensland b.v the recent strike, the report, on the industry by the Queensland Government Statistician is of intei'eft hci'e. The statistics for 1910 show an immense increase in Queensland over the ficurcs for the previous vear, both in the acreage and in the yield per acre. This lias resulted in an expansion of 76,172 tons of Kuenr—a- (rain of 56 pur cent, over the 1909 figures. The activity in s«'?ar cultivation in Queensland is further evidenced by the much greater number of farmers returned as cultivating cane for manufacture in 1910, as compared with previous years. The average area, for each cultivator in 1910. was 34 acres, as aeainst 52 acres in 1909, and 33 acres in 1908. The supar camraicn was also most successful in New South Wales, the output bcinc 18,828 tons, a? against 11,654 tops in ISO 9. The good crop resulted in a return of no less than 3.36 tons of suirar per acre crushed, and us llio proportion of stand over is larsc, thei'e i< a probability that the yield n-jxt year will not sitow any diminution. The Uilal suirar production of Australia in 1910 was thus 223.581 uins. upon which a bounty of £631,979 accrued. As far as Queen'slaml is concerned, the ratio of white crown cane to the total was 92.81 per cent,, an Improvement, of nearly 3 per cc.nt. on tho previous .venr, Tho refineries, inlcol aid sugar mill: in operation in Queensland I

in 1910 amounted to 51 in number, valued at £1,968,<32 u;« to machinery, and at £351,112 as to iaiu! and premises, whiln employment therein was given to WJu hand;:. The a\eraue consumption of Australia over a period of nine years is ahown to be ll«lh. of raw sugar per capita, tlie liiclio-t in the world, but based on the refined article the consumption is estimated at about 1071b. per capita. CO-OPKItATIVE ASSURANCE CO. The Co-operative Assurance Company, recently floated, and the sharer of which were offered in New South Wales, New Zealand, and Tasmania, is meeting with severe.' criticism in Sydney. Mr. George King, F.1.A., F.F.IL, the eminent London actuary, who is on a professional visit to Svdney, in a statement, published In the "Sydney Morning Herald" state-: that those who have drawn up the prospectus have misunderstood the condition* in the United Kingdom. "There are (he stalest three eomnanies particularly mentioned, in connection with a Koncra! statement that J070,C00,000 steriiuir is invested in companies in Gree.t Britain doing houpe-piirchase business. They do not say where that £70.C00,0C0 comes from." Mr. Kins claims to luiow two of the companies referred to, and, with respect to the "Pearl," it never did any house-purchase business. The other company—"Provident Free Homes"— no longer exists, because, at the close of 1909, it amalgamated with tho parent company, tho Provident Association, of London. This latter company is the onlv one that Mr. Kin.® knows of in the United Kingdom which has gone-in for bond investment. coupled with hous-e-purchase, and made a success of it. As a result of the criticisms, the director? intend issuing a circular giving the authorities for tho statements in the prosnectus which have been criticised, and offering those shareholders (if any) who may havfc taken up shares under a misapprehension mi opportunity of withdrawing their applications, and having their moneys refunded. At the same time, the directors express their confidence in the future prospects of the company. NOTES. Tho "Indian Trade Journal" of June 1 publishes the final general memorandum on the wheat crop of British India for the season 1910-11. The lirea reported as under wheat this season is 29,554,500 acres, as compared with 28,017,500 acres in 1909-10, an increase of 5.5 per cent. The yield for 1910-11 is estimated at 9.900,800 tons, a.s against 9,590,600 tons for the previous season, an incroa«e of 3.2 per cent., and an increase of 25.8 per cent., as compared with the average of the five years ending 1908-9. In their report for 1910, the Guardians of the Birmingham Proof House record a net increase of 80,063 in the number of arms proved, the tola! being 420.239. as compared with 3*0,176 in 1909, and 326,697 in 1908. Customs duties collected at the port" of "Wellington yesterday amounted to £2107 6s. Bd. TALLOW SALES. B? Telegraph—l'ress Associp.tton-OooTrlehl London, August. 16. The transport strikes prevented the holding of, the weekly tallow sales. SILVER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Couvrfehl London, August 16. Bar silver is rjuotcd at 24 146 d. per ounce. RABBIT SKINS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Roc. August 17, 10.15 p.m.) London, August 17. Rabbit skins have advanced by about a penny. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. ■ By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (liec. Aug. 17, 11.20 p.m.) Sydney, August. 17. Wheat, 3s. 6d. to 3s. 6Jd. Flour, city brands, £8 10s.; country brands. £7 17s. 6d. Bran. £5. Pollard, £4 ICs. Barley. Cape, 2s. 6d. to 2s. Bd.; English, 2s. 4d. to 2s. 6d. Maize, 2s. lid. to 3s. Oats, Algerian. 2s. 7d.; feeding, 2s. 3d.; Tasmanian. 2s. lOd. to 2s. lid. Onions, £4 to £4 ss. Potatoes, £7 to £8 ss. Butter, selected brands. 12Gs.: prime, 108s. to 116s. Bacon, s?d. to 6ld„ Cheese, 6d. to 6£d. Melbourne, August 17. Chaff is fairly firm, and is in fair supplies; oaten dumped, £3 15s. to £4: comI pressed, uncovered, £4: covered, £4 ss. Wheat, 3s. 7£d. Flour, city brands. £8 10s.; country brands, £7 10s. Oats, Algerian, 1 2s. Id. to 2s. 2hi. Barley, maltincr. ss. to ss. 3d.; Cape, 2s. Bd. Maize, 2s. lOd. Bran and pollard, £5. Onions, £2 10s. to £3. PoI tatocs, £5 to £5 ICs. 1 Adelaide, August 17. , Wheat. 3s. 6d. to 3s. 7£d. Flour, £7 ! 15s. I to £8. Bran, 12id. Pollard, 123 d. MELBOURNE, HIDES MARKET. " By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyriehl (Rec. Aug. 17, 11.20 p.m.) Melbourne, August 17. Hides are in fair .supplies, with excellent inquiry, and prices are very firm. LONDON MARKETS. Tho New, Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London house under date August 16:—Wheat.—. We have sold an Australian cargo at 355. net c.i.f. There is a very little demand, and the outlook is uncertain. "The market is very dull. WOOL, SKIN, AND HIDE- SALE. Messrs. Hitchings, Hankins, and Co.. Ltd., Levin, report on their m!c held yesterday as follows Our catalogue comprised 50 bales and fadges wool, 1200 sheepskins. 520 hides, 40 tins, 5 cask-.? tallow. There was a large attendance of buyers operating-, and competition was keen throughout. Hides declined about one-eighth, skins and wool showing no depreciation. We quote as follows:—Wool, Crossbred, dead, 62d. to Bid.; crittchings, medium, 51d., sld. to 52d.; crutcliings, inferior. 3£d. to «lid.; locks. 31d. to 33d.; horsehair. Is. 4d.; cow-hair, 71d. Sheepskins—Medium crossbred. 6£d.; coarse do., sid. to siJd.j lambs, sid., 6d. to 6id.; hoggets. sid., 52d. to 6d.; hnlf-wools. 5Jd. to 51d.; crossbred, dead, 4d., 43d. to 51d.; pelts, 3?d. to 3jd.; damp and green crossbred. 3s. lid., 4s. lCd., £s. 6d. to 75.; crossbred salted, ss. 3d. to ss. 5d.; crossbred. Baited light, 3s. 9d. nides—Calf, sound, Bd. to B§d.; cut and slippy, 3id. to s|d.; ox. heavy, none offering; medium do., 6£d.; light do.. 6Jdto 63d.; cow. heavy to medium. 61d.. 62d. to' 6id.; light do., 6fcd. to 6Jd.; yearlings, 63d.; cut and filipoy hides, 4f!d. to 5d.: horse, 4s. 9d. to 7s. 9d.: bulls, 4gd. Tallow—Casks, £25; tins, £22 10s.